Pinocchio - Pacific Northwest Ballet

EYES ON DANCE
Study Guide for Teachers and Students

Table of Contents
Page 3 ………………………………….About Pacific Northwest Ballet
Page 4 …………………………………The Story of Pinocchio
Pages 5-6 ………………………………….About Pinocchio
Page 7 ………………………………….Discussing Dance & Movement Activities
Page 8 ………………………………….Attending a Ballet Performance
Page 9 ..………………………………..Additional Resources
The March 25, 2011 EYES ON DANCE matinee of Pinocchio will feature the entire one-hour,
narrated ballet, performed by nearly sixty students from Pacific Northwest Ballet School
(PNBS). The performance will begin at 10:30am and will not have an intermission.
This study guide was created by Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Community Education Programs staff for
use by teachers and students attending the EYES ON DANCE matinee of Pinocchio. Reproduction of
this guide in its entirety is allowed and encouraged, when proper credits are included.
For questions, call 206.441.2432.
PNB thanks the following for their support of PNB Community Education Programs:
Bellevue Arts Commission, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Horizons Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation,
Kobe Foundation, Lockwood Foundation, D.V. and Ida J. McEachern Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts,
PONCHO, Safeco Insurance Foundation, Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund, Washington State Arts Commission,
Peg and Rick Young Foundation, and generous individual contributors.
Cover photo:
Pacific Northwest Ballet School Students in Pinnochio
All Photos © Angela Sterling, unless otherwise noted
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About Pacific Northwest Ballet
Foundedd in 1972, Pacific Northwest Ballet
(PNB) is one of
the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in
the United States. In
July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic
director, succeeding
Kent Stowell and Francia Russell,
artistic directors since 1977. The Company of forty-six
dancers presents approximately 100 performances each
year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion
Oliver McCaw Hall and on tour. The Company is made up
of dancers from across the world—including France,
Japan, Brazil, Cuba, Mongolia, and the United States.
The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan,
Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the
United States,
with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow and in New
York City and Washington, DC. Under the
direction of Peter
Boal, PNB has continued to expand and diversify its
repertory to include
works by Ulysses Dove, Susan
Marshall, Mark Morris, Victor Quijada, Twyla Tharp,
Christopher Wheeldon, and others.
Foundedd in 1974, Pacific Northwest Ballet
School, under
the direction of Francia Russell since 19777 and now under
Mr. Boal's direction, is nationally recognized as setting the
standardd for ballet training and offers a complete
professional curriculum to more
than 950 students. PNB’s
Community Education Programs provide comprehensive
dance education to the greaterr Seattle area and reach more
than 12,000 adults and children each year
through EYES ON
DANCE, DISCOVER DANCE, and other community programs
and activities.
Photos, top
to bottom:
PNB Soloist
Chalnessa Eames and PNB Company dancers in
The Sleeping Beauty
PNB Principal Dancer Jeffrey
Stanton and PNB Company dancers in George Balanchine’s
Symphony in Three Movements, © The George Balanchine Trust
PNB School students in pas de deux class with PNB dancer/ PNBS faculty member Stanko Milov
PNB DISCOVER DANCE teaching artist Suzanne SIngla with 3 rd grader at Graham Hill Elementary
(DISCOVER DANCE photo © Bill Mohn)
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The Story of Pinocchio
Pinocchio begins with a group of puppets rehearsing for the
evening’s puppetry performance. Small puppets appear and
ask the puppeteer to read aloud the story of Pinocchio. No
longer a puppet, a grown up Pinocchio enters and joins the
group. Blindfolding Pinocchio, the small puppets bring a full
length mirror into the scene and when the blindfold is
removed, Pinocchio sees himself reflected in the mirror as
the puppet he used to be. The puppet in the reflection
steps out of the mirror, bows to Pinocchio, and is followed
by characters grown up Pinocchio remembers from when he
was a puppet - his father Geppetto, his friend The Talking
Cricket, the beggars Fox & Cat, and his beloved Blue Fairy.
The scene changes to Geppetto’s workshop in a flash-back
where he is creating the puppet Pinocchio. Geppetto gives
Pinocchio a spelling book and sends him to school, but
along the way he becomes preoccupied watching
performers from the Puppet Theater. He quickly sells the
spelling book to buy a ticket to the performance. Greeted by
others like himself, Pinocchio dances with the puppets and
is paid 5 gold coins for his performance.
Photos (top-bottom):
PNBS students in an opening scene from Pinocchio
PNBS student as The Talking Cricket
Alexandra Dickson and a PNBS student as The Blue Fairy and Pinocchio
Soon Pinocchio is set upon by Fox & Cat, who swindle him
out of his earnings by telling him to bury his gold in the Field
of Miracles. “By doing so, it will grow on a tree and you will
find countless gold coins in the morning,” they say. But
while Pinocchio is asleep, Fox and Cat steal his money and
shortly after he discovers his loss, Blue Fairy appears to
offer consolation. Embarrassed by his actions, Pinocchio
begins to lie about where the money is, and with each lie,
his nose grows. Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio she will only
forgive him if he goes to find his father Geppetto, who has
been traveling across the ocean searching for him.
Pinocchio goes to the sea side and dives into the deep.
Here he meets Neptune, King of the Sea, and his court.
Before long, he discovers Geppetto has been swallowed by
a whale. Mustering all the strength he can manage,
Pinocchio pulls his father from the whale’s belly. Witnessing
a truly unselfish act by the puppet, Blue Fairy appears and
turns the puppet into a real boy. With a humble sigh,
Pinocchio announces:
“How foolish I was when I was a puppet … and how happy I
am to have become a real boy”
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About Pinocchio
History & Creation
Originally written as a series of adventures by Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio is
one of the world’s most well recognized characters. Written in 1883 by
Collodi, The Adventures of Pinocchio was the first novel featuring the
character. Named for the Tuscan word meaning “pine nut”, Pinocchio is
a puppet carved out of pine wood by a woodcarver named Geppetto.
Pinocchio’s curious nature and dreams of becoming a real boy are the
source for these now-famous stories. In 1940, Disney adapted the story
into an animated musical children’s movie, their second animated film
after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This version marked the first of
many theater, film, dance, and other artistic variations of the story.
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Pinocchio was conceived and
choreographed by Pacific Northwest Ballet School Faculty Member Bruce Wells in 2009. He
was inspired to create Pinocchio in order to offer an additional performing opportunity for the
PNBS students. The ballet is performed by the most advanced students of PNBS—levels VI
through the Professional Division (ages 13-20). Professional Division students at PNB are fulltime
pre-professional level dancers. They spend one or two years at PNB studying ballet,
partnering, modern dance, and PNB repertory and often perform with the Company. In
addition to the 60 students, Mr. Wells serves as the narrator, or Puppeteer, in the ballet and
former PNB Soloist Alexandra Dickson dances the role of The Blue Fairy.
Photos (top-bottom):
Original artwork by Enrico Mazzanti for the first publishing of The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883)
Bruce Wells in rehearsal
Choreography and Concept: Bruce Wells
Choreographer Bruce Wells has created over 50 ballets. A native of
Tacoma, Washington, Mr. Wells' dance career began as a student at the
School of American Ballet. He joined New York City Ballet, under the
direction of George Balanchine, in 1967 and was promoted to soloist in
1969. His choreographic career began in workshops that Mr. Balanchine
coached in the early 1970's. From there he became resident
choreographer for the Connecticut Ballet from 1975 to 1979,
choreographing his first full length ballet, Coppelia in 1976. From 1979 to
1989 Mr. Wells was resident chorographer for the Boston Ballet, where
he created over 20 works which included The Nutcracker, La Fee Mal
Gardee, Swan Lake, and his highly acclaimed A Midsummer Night's
Dream (from 1984 to 1989 he was also Associate Artistic Director for the
company). He then joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater for six seasons as resident choreographer,
creating new productions of Romeo & Juliet, Firebird, and The Great Gatsby, among others. Mr.
Wells has choreographed works for The Australian Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Pacific
Northwest Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Cincinnati Ballet, The
Nashville Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Jacob's Pillow, and many more. For the past eleven
years, Mr. Wells has been on the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Mr. Wells' first
children’s ballet for PNBS was Snow White in 2001, followed by Hansel & Gretel in 2006 and
Pinocchio in 2009. A frequent guest teacher and free lance choreographer, his most recent
assignment was as guest teacher for the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam.
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Costumes:
Pacificc Northwest Ballet Costume Shop
For Pinnochio, choreographer Bruce
Wells collaborated
with Costume
Shop Manager Larae Hascall and the
entire shop staff for
each costume. Sketches for principal
roles (Pinocchio, The Blue Fairy, etc.) weree drawn by Mr. Wells
and then
created by
shop employees. For the other roles,
existing costumes from the PNB repertory
were used. By
carefully selecting, editing, and
altering these pieces to match
the new ones, a cohesive look was established.
Scenery: edie whitsett
PNB’s
Costume Shop is a permanent, fully-staffed, in-house
production center
located at PNB’s Phelps Center. Established with
the company in 1972, the shop’s earlierr years focused on
maintenance and construction of smaller ballets. By 1989, with the
premiere of Firebird, the shop had grown to the point where staff had
the ability to produce all of the costumes needed for a major work.
Since 1987 nearly
every costume worn by PNB dancers has been
built in
PNB’s costume shop.
edie is
delighted to be working again with Bruce Wells
and PNB. Their previous collaborations
include Snow
White and Hansel and Gretel. Her PNB
credits include
Ballet Imperial, Chrysalis Regarding and
Zirkus Weill. Her
other credits are Lucia Di Lammermoorr for Seattle Opera,
Arms and the Man for Intiman, Souvenir
for ACT, The
Pied Piper for Tacoma Opera and numerous designs for
Seattlee Children's
Theatre— including The Brementown
Musicians, High School Musical, Charlotte's Web, The
Velveteen Rabbit,
and even Pinocchio. edie lives in
Seattlee and is a set designer
with Seattle Children’ s
Theater.
Page | 6
Photos (top-bottom):
Mask
worn by Pinocchio (Photo by Larae Hascall)
Close
up of the wings from the Cricket costume (Photo by Larae Hascall)
PNBS
student as Geppetto in front of the scenery from Pinocchio
Entire
cast of Pinocchio

Discussing Dance & Movement Activities
Pre-performance Discussion:
Describe ballet to students as a way to communicate stories, ideas, and feelings without
using words. Dancers have to move and act in ways that let the audience know what
their character is experiencing. Ask them how they can tell if someone is angry, happy,
sad, or frightened just by walking into a room.
Pre-performance Questions:
What kinds of movements and facial expressions correspond to happiness Anger
Would these movements be fast or slow Sharp or smooth Can you show some ideas
What steps would you do, or expect to see, when a character is celebrating
Do you expect the steps and movements in the ballet to be classical or contemporary
Pre-performance Movement Activity:
1. Students generate two lists of words. The first will be a list of movement/action words. Challenge
students to expand their list by asking questions such as, “What are different ways of walking
Let’s try some ways of moving around the room.” You can also show photos or videos of
dancers or statues, and have them describe what they see.
2. The second list will be of descriptive words. Depending on grade level, this might be a list you
produce on your own rather than brainstorm with students.
Sample lists are below. We provided dance concepts as descriptive words.
List 1: MOVEMENT WORDS
List 2: DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
Run Walk TipToe SIZE (big, medium, small)
Gallop Skip Swing LEVEL (high, middle, low)
Jump Leap Twist DIRECTION (forward, backward, sideways)
Kick Spin Sway PATHWAY (curved, straight, zig zag)
Rise Stretch March SPEED (fast, medium, slow)
Reach Float Balance WEIGHT (heavy, light)
Bend Prance Shake ENERGY (sharp, smooth, shaky, swingy)
3. Once you have created a list, ask students to create their own Pinocchio choreography.
Choreography is the process of putting steps together to create a dance. Ask questions like “what
steps/descriptive words could show Pinocchio when he is scared” This might be running
backwards or tip toeing with shaky energy. Gather a few answers and have students try them out.
4. Put two or three movements together to create a short phrase of choreography.
5. Create a total of three choreographic phrases- one each for the beginning, middle, and end!
Post-performance Questions:
Did the choreography fit the emotion of each scene
What elements of the performance helped you the most in understanding the story
Were there any parts of the choreography were confusing to you Why
How did the choreography compare to the movements we created
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Attending a Ballet Performance
Going to the theater for ballet is similar to going to a movie:
• The lights will dim before the performance begins, and
it will be dark in the theater during the ballet.
• Audience members are expected to sit still and
quietly in their seats.
• Photography and video recording are strictly prohibited.
In addition to being distracting to the dancers and other
audience members, Pinocchio is copyrighted.
• Cell phones and electronics should be turned off when
you enter the theater.
• There is no intermission. Use the restroom prior to the
performance.
However, unlike the movies:
• Ballet is performed live. There are no second
takes and dancers can react to the audience!
• While there is a narrator for Pinocchio, dancers do
not talk in ballet. They tell the story through
movements, music, costumes, and sets.
• Clap when you enjoy something, laugh if
something is funny, and give a standing ovation at
the end if it was amazing. Let the performers
know you appreciate their hard work!
• McCaw Hall is a big theater—nearly 3,000 seats!
• At the end of the performance, the dancers and
narrator take a bow. This is a curtain call.
• Some people make their visit to the ballet a dressup
occasion; others dress casually. Wear
something you are comfortable in so you can
enjoy the performance.
Most Importantly:
• Enjoy the movements, music, sets, costumes—and HAVE FUN!
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Photos (top to bottom)
Second grade students arrive at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall (photo by Bill Mohn)
Elementary students at McCaw Hall (Photo by John Austin) Marion Oliver
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, exterior (photo by Roger Burnett)

Additional Resources
LITERATURE:
For young students (ages 4-8):
The Story of Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi Illustrations by Mauro Evangelista Usborne Books, 2006
ISBN: 978-0794511487 Available at www.amazon.com
For older students (ages 9-12):
Pinocchio (Penguin Classics)
Carlo Collodi Penguin Classics, 2002
ISBN: 978-0142437063 Available at www.amazon.com
For teens:
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi (translated by Nancy Canepa) Zoland Books, 1998
ISBN: 978-1586420529 Available at: www.amazon.com
VIDEO / WEBSITE:
Webcasts and photos about the making of Pinocchio can be found at PNB’s website:
http://www.pnb.org/Season/10-11/Pinocchio/#Media
Support PNB! Link to Amazon.com through PNB’s website and PNB will receive up to 10% of the
purchase price. More information at http://www.pnb.org/Support/Amazon.aspx
Additional Activities:
Visit PNB’s website at http://www.pnb.org/Community/Teacher/ for:
o Movement activities and lessons
o Dance vocabulary activities
o A behind-the-scenes study guide
o Information on scheduling in-school workshops
o Professional development workshops for teachers
o PNB Teacher Discount for performance tickets
For information or questions, please call PNB’s Community Education Programs at 206.441.2432
PNB Company dancers during curtain call of Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty.
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